Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Dr. Larry Mason for his devotion and service to his community. Dr. Mason began his medical practice in 1972 in Albany, Kentucky, later moving to Byrdstown Medical Center (BMC) in Tennessee where he has practiced since 1982. His many professional accomplishments include, being named Chairman of Board of Directors Livingston Regional Hospital (LRH) as well as serving for many years as Medical Director of Pickett Care and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Mason made many significant contributions to his community and will be greatly missed. He and his wife, Gina, reside in Livingston where they attend First Baptist Church, and together have three children, Luke, Lance, and Lindy, along with several grandchildren. We honor Dr. Mason today with his family, friends, and neighbors with deep gratitude for his service.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend Mrs. Lalania S. Vaughn for 20 years of service at Tipton-Rosemark Academy (TRA) as the Director of Fine Arts. In a career spanning two decades, Mrs. Vaughn has directed over 27 shows for the TRA Theatre Department and led the TRA choir to three Overall National Winner Awards in the Festivals of Music.

In addition to teaching, Mrs. Vaughn has been selected five times as Outstanding Music Educator in Tennessee by the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts, served as President of the West Tennessee Vocal Music Educators Association in 2014 to 2016, and is a four time nominee for the Orpheum's Theater ``Outstanding Musical Direction Award,'' winning in 2016.

Her desire to impact her community continues to extend beyond the halls of TRA, as she is a seasoned member of the National Association for Music Education and participates as a key soloist for Bellevue Baptist Church.

It is due to the passion of servants like Mrs. Vaughn that young people across our country are equipped with the tools to follow their own dreams. I thank her today for her accomplishments and dedication to Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, long before 2017, our Tax Code had become broken, complicated, and outdated. It no longer worked for our families or our businesses. We needed to rebuild confidence in our private sector and provide release for families. We needed to bring back America's competitive edge by giving job creators freedom from punishing high taxes. And when tax reform was signed into law last December, we accomplished that.

In our bill, we doubled the standard deduction and lowered the rate for individuals, which means that parents and families are keeping more of their money in their pockets.

We also dramatically reduced the tax rate for small businesses so they can invest in the people who keep their businesses moving. And now we want to make those cuts permanent.

The Tax Foundation estimates that implementing permanent relief will create 1.5 million new jobs and increase our GDP by 2.2 percent. Permanent tax cuts will continue to encourage the economic growth that has put our Nation back in the front of competition. It will give taxpayers room to breathe when it comes to saving for life's unexpected challenges or emergencies, and it will allow our families to save money by expanding access to new and existing savings vehicles for their children's education.

That is what tax reform is all about: allowing taxpayers to keep more money in their pockets so that they can choose what to do with their money. Americans know how to spend their money better than the government does. It is as simple as that.

I am proud of our accomplishments, because it means people can breathe easier and with confidence. But we still have work to do to ensure that our Tax Code remains competitive, innovative, and better. Tax reform is boosting our economy, and we want to add to that momentum.

So, with the bill that the Ways and Means Committee is working on, we have an opportunity to bring permanent certainty to millions of Americans, and we intend to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Wednesday, July 25, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H.R. 6199, the Restoring Access to Medication Act (RC No. 377). Expanding health savings accounts will give direct assistance to families suffering from costly Obamacare premiums, and I am pleased to see provisions of my bill to provide first-dollar coverage for chronic diseases in this legislation. It is paramount for Americans to have access to the best and most affordable health care possible, and I remain dedicated to fighting for patient-centered reforms that promote choice and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, July 26, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 5515--John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. As a nation, we continue to face a growing number of threats that are becoming increasingly more complex and versatile in nature. This legislation substantially increases the funding for our military, gives our troops a well-deserved pay raise, and provides important tools in the fight against terrorism

Mr. Speaker, I missed the following votes because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 366; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 372; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 374; and YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 376.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H. Res. 990, Supporting the officers and personnel who carry out the important mission of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (RC No. 337.) It is disheartening to see my Democrat colleagues in Congress demonizing the men and women who make a daily sacrifice to secure our borders. As an original co-sponsor of this legislation, I am proud to support the heroic officers who carry out the important mission at our border to preserve our national security and protect our families.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, July 19, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H. Con. Res. 119, which expresses the sense of Congress that a carbon tax is not in the best interest of the United States. Like any federal mandate that intervenes in our economy, a carbon tax would reward special-interests at the expense of American families. Further, carbon taxes are regressive and would disproportionately burden lower and middle class families.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, July 12, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H.R. 6237, the Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 (Roll Call No. 326.) As a nation, we continue to face a growing number of threats that are becoming increasingly more complex and versatile in nature. This legislation is paramount to our continued efforts to protect the American people and keep our homeland safe from acts of terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call vote No. 328 on Fridy July 13, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained.

Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H.R. 50 the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, June 29, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage for H. Res. 970, a resolution to compel the Department of Justice to comply with the request of the House investigators and turn over the remaining documents regarding the FBI's investigation of Russian influence over the 2016 election. The accusations of FBI abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act have serious consequences for our Fourth Amendment and the American people deserve nothing less than complete transparency.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes because I was unavoidably detained. I wish to reflect my intent and strong support for the following legislation to address the opioid crisis.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 2851, Roll. 268; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 5735, Roll. 266; YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 5890, Roll. 263; and YEA on Roll Call No. H.R. 5891, Roll. 264.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Thursday, May 24, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted Aye on final passage of H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. This legislation provides our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to protect our freedom at home and abroad, and fully funds the highest pay raise for our troops in the last nine years.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 219, NAY on Roll Call No. 220, NAY on Roll Call No. 221, NAY on Roll Call No. 222, YEA on Roll Call No. 223, YEA on Roll Call No. 224, NAY on Roll Call No. 225, NAY on Roll Call No. 226, YEA on Roll Call No. 227, and NAY on Roll Call No. 228.

Mr. Speaker, I am not recorded for roll call votes on Tuesday, May 2, 2018 because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye'' on Roll Call No. 216, final passage of S. 2155--the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. This legislation provides sensible reforms that will allow community banks to devote more time and resources to better support small businesses and families.